Since August of last year I've been pretty MIA. I took on a lot of projects and wasn't able to spend as much time as I wanted doing things that left my heart feeling full. That has now changed. I wrote this on the Kayak Fishing Blog this morning but I'll just copy and paste it here to save you the click and some time. I look forward to seeing more of you guys throughout 2016.

Life’s path is full of twists, turns, pit stops and detours. And sometimes, the destination you were working toward changes mid-journey. 14 months ago I thought my path was pretty clear. My destination was dialed in as I took on the role of the Pro Staff Director for HOOK 1. And late last week that all changed.

To be fair, it has been an ongoing discussion for the last two months or so. I couldn’t have known a year ago that a digital magazine could grow legs and start sprinting. That fuel has sparked other interests as well.

I don’t think anyone is surprised that I really like the writing and content generation side of our sport. (Except for video. I don’t have the patience to make videos that people can actually enjoy. When it’s not your thing, you just have to move on).The magazine and the blog allow me to do that. They also allow me to provide a platform for people who want to do some content generation but don’t want to build a website. Community growth and more specifically localized community growth are two additional areas that leave me with a swelled heart at the end of the day.

Last Thursday, after many discussions with HOOK 1 owner Chad Hoover, I stepped down. I spent a lot of time laying out what I wanted to do, what I wanted to accomplish and the end goal. It’s best for me and what I want to contribute to the sport that has consumed more than a decade of my life.

Moving forward I’ll have many avenues but one common focus: Community.

I am focusing my time in 2016 on more community driven aspects with many of them being Texas focused. I am setting up dates to talk to folks who are new to kayaking or wanting to get into kayak fishing. These will be held at both outdoor sites and store venues throughout Texas. They’ll of course be free and family friendly. I am continuing to add contributors to the blog and magazine from all over to keep perspectives fresh and as appropriate, regionally specific. Getting many perspectives and a collective knowledge for the community to share and discuss is a big focus for next year.

Possibly the most important endeavor for 2016 is the foundational year of a new Heroes on the Water chapter at Ft. Hood, Texas. Our nation’s largest military installation needs HOW in the worst way. I am happy to serve as an officer of the chapter alongside some of the best men and women I know. With soldiers, peace officers and civilians working side by side to help our veterans in our own back yard, I have great hope for the good that HOW can do.

It has been a good 14 months and I’ll miss the daily interaction with the Crew and Team but the time for change is now. I look forward to the discussions, floats, fishing and good times in store for 2016.

I'm sure the Hook 1 team is going to miss you Chris. I've often heard "excuse me - my Hook 1 director is calling me" while I've attended fishing tournaments around the region. I'm tickled that you are able to focus on a much needed HOW chapter for Fort Hood! What a worthwhile cause for your new efforts. Best of luck to you and please let me know if we can help with your outreach and philanthropic endeavors!

Thanks guys. Looking forward to doing more work across the state. The volunteers reaching out for the new HOW chapter has been awesome. It's all just reaffirming this is the right thing for me to do at this point. Looking forward to some G2G!

Best wishes to you and your family on starting the next chapter in your book of life. It is especially exciting to hear about your efforts to set up a Ft. Hood HOW Chapter. Those that you serve will be truly blessed by your "ramrodding" that new chapter. Since retiring from Mariner, it has been an enlightening experience and an honor to be able to volunteer a few hours to do whatever tasks are needed for the monthly D/FW HOW outings. One can really see the appreciation of the soldiers and their families. Many lives have been changed or literally saved from their exposure to HOW. Be sure to take advantage of the knowledge and experience that you can glean from both George Chrisman as Terry & Dave Potts.